Question using Fabric-CLI. How to Switch to interactive mode?

[alfBI]

Hi,

I have started to use Fabric-CLI. It looks a promising way to admin easily the fabric platform content. I have followed the steps described on the link

But on my case I am unable to obtain the shell after typing the commands described

I am able to execute the fab commands, but not to obtain the shell.

What am I doing wrong?

Thx

Alfons

[burakkaragoz]

Hey!

Great question—and you're not alone, this part can be a bit confusing at first 😅

Setting the mode to interactive doesn’t automatically open the shell. It just enables interactive behavior once you're inside the shell.

To actually enter the interactive shell, you need to run:

fab

This will drop you into the Fabric CLI shell with the prompt:

fab:/ >

From there, you can use commands like ls, cd, help, etc.

Let us know if that works for you!

---

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @alfBI ,

If you're able to run fab commands but not getting into the interactive shell, here are a few things to check:

✅ Steps to Try:

1. Ensure Interactive Mode is Enabled
   Run:

   fab config set web.interactive true

1. Use the Correct Login Command
   Then run:

   fab auth login -i

The -i flag is what triggers the interactive shell after login. If you omit it, you'll stay in standard mode.

1. Check CLI Version
   Make sure you're using the latest version of Fabric CLI. Older versions may not support interactive mode properly. You can check with:

   fab --version

1. Try Running fab Alone
   After logging in, try just typing:

   fab

This should drop you into the interactive shell if everything is configured correctly.

1. Environment Conflicts
   If you're using a terminal emulator or shell (e.g., PowerShell, zsh), try switching to a basic terminal like cmd or bash to rule out shell-specific issues.

Let me know what happens after trying these steps—happy to help troubleshoot further!

[alfBI]

No, i don't mean to access the python shell. I refer to the fab shell that is mentioned on the documentation

Alfons

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

The interactive shell does not automatically open just by setting the mode to 'interactive, and logging in. The command only sets the CLI behavior to support interactive command once you are inside the shell, but it does not open the interactive shell itself.

We must explicitly start the interactive shell by running “fab”. This will drop you into the Fabric CLI shell with the prompt: fab:/ >. From there you can use interactive commands like ls, cd, help, etc..

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[alfBI]

Hi, Yes, this would be the expected behaviour, but after seting the interactive mode and logging the shell does not open after typing "fab". See below screenshoot. Instead of shell, list of fab options are displayed

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

Based on the screenshot, it looks like the Fabric CLI is showing the help menu instead of entering the interactive shell. This usually happens when the CLI version is outdated or missing the interactive shell feature.

• First check your current Fabric CLI version, if it is below 1.0.6 please upgrade it.
• If you are already using the latest version but still facing the issue, try reinstalling it and then try running the commands. This should open the interactive shell with the fab prompt.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[alfBI]

Hi,

Version is 0.10

We reinstalled it

and issue remains. 

Definitely something something does not work as expected

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

The version you are using is 0.1.10, which follows a different release track and does not support the interactive shell feature. This functionality was introduced in Fabric CLI version 1.0.6 and above, which comes from a different package.

• Uninstall the current package: pip uninstall ms-fabric-cli
• Install the correct CLI: pip install fabric-cli

Verify the version it should be now 1.0.6 or higher, now try running the interactive shell again, this should finally open the shell.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution I have provided resolved your issue.
If my response resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accept as solution" and click "Yes" if you found it helpful.

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[alfBI]

I have reinstalled latest available version 1.0

and problem remains....

[v-achippa · Accepted solution]

Hi @alfBI,

Thanks for the response, the version you are currently using is 1.0.0 which still does not yet include the interactive shell feature.

The interactive shell (fab:/ >) was officially introduced in version 1.0.6 and above.

Clear pip cache and upgrade to Fabric CLI version 1.0.6 or newer specifically from the new fabri cli package on PyPI that includes the interactive shell.

Uninstall the existing version and install the latest version explicitly:

pip install fabric-cli --upgrade --force-reinstall

Then after Verify the version and run the shell

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution I have provided resolved your issue.
If my response resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accept as solution" and click "Yes" if you found it helpful.

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[v-achippa]

Hi @alfBI,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thank you @lbendlin for the prompt response.

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution provided by the super user resolved your issue? or let us know if you need any further assistance.
If our super user response resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accept as solution" and click "Yes" if you found it helpful.

Thanks and regards,

Anjan Kumar Chippa

[lbendlin]

You mean the Python shell that you get when you run "python"  from the Windows command line?